The relevant anatomy concerning a hemroid – you may want to skip this little bit and the next, if the anatomy doesn’t interest you, take up reading again at the section on treating them.

This is a picture of internal hemroids – courtesy of Samir of Wikipedia, who graciously allows others to share his work. One hemroid is the grape like appearance just under the black implement, and there may be another just to the right of the implement as well. So there appears to be two internal ones in this picture.

Anyway, what else does this photo show?

Well, all the lumps forming a type of large circle are called the “anal column or anal valves” I believe, and are perfectly normal – we are seeing the bottom edge of the anal columns/valves, and thats called the “pectinate line” or “dentate line” – the line where the inside bowel lining joins the outside skin. That diferentiates internal hemroids as seen here, from external hemroids that grow below this point. Internal hemroids can prolapse out past this point, but they are growing from above the dentate line and are therefore still internal hemroids. Hemroids growing on the dentate line are referred to as mixed or confluent ones. The dentate line is also important, as hemroids growing on or below it, can cause a great deal of pain, but anything above it generally not so.

The anal valves occur roughly two thirds or so of the way into the anal canal. By definition the anal canal is the canal that joins the anus (the outside hole) to the rectum (where the poop resides prior to being pooped out). The anal canal is roughly 2.5 to 4cm long, and is normally tightly closed to prevent faecal (poo) incontinence.

In this next diagram, which was made public by WikipedianProlific, also of Wikipedia.com, you can see more clearly what I am talking about. Remember the dentate line means the same as the pectinate line. When a hemroid originates above the dentate line it’s called an internal hemroid, when an internal hemroid comes through the anal canal and shows through the anus, you have a prolapsed hemroid, and if the hemroid starts its life below the dentate line, you have an external hemroid.

So thank you Samir and WikipedianProlific for providing such wonderful pictures.

Hemroid treatment is based on the type of hemroid / hemroids you have

Irrespective of the type of hemroid you have, if it’s small, comes and goes, or causes no discomfort , you can treat it by nothing more complex than changing your lifestyle to include some exercise, such as walking every day, eating plenty of fiber and drinking plenty of water. At the same time, avoid activities that may cause you to put strain on your bottom end. Eliminating constipation is vital to getting rid of them as well.. This hemroid site has pages devoted to these topics. A good place to start is the hemroid causes, high fiber hemroids diet, and constipation pages.

If the hemroids are troubling you, for example are itchy, painful or bleeding, or you just want to get rid of them as fast as possible, then buying a commercial hemroid treatment, such as those proven to work on this web site, may be your best course of action. That page even tells you what product works on what type of hemroid.

Hemroid pills work through the blood stream and gastrointestinal tract (intestines etc) and the pill we recommend are also reasonably safe to take, being designed for internal use to rectify all types of hemroids – however, if you have any medical condition or are on medication of any sort, it is always best to discuss these pills with your doctor.

If you DON’T KNOW what type of hemroids you have, ask your doctor. Different medications exist for internal and external hemroids, and it’s important not to use them incorrectly.

As long as a hemroid medication such as a cream or solution (which are made for external hemroids) comes with written directions for internal use, such as to how to apply it and how much to apply and comes with the manufacturers apparatus or applicator to insert the cream or solution inside of you correctly, then it should be safe to use the cream or solution in that way. It depends on how much you trust the company making the cream or solution of course. That trust is important with any medication you use. For your information, to date of writing, not one hemroid external cream or solution has been approved by the FDA for internal use.

What are external hemroids?

If the engorged vein is outside the anus, but really close to it, it is described as an external hemroid.

Some doctors will even call a varicose vein on the upper part of the leg a hemroid – but this is a different way of using the term.

Another page you may be interested in is on bleeding internal and external hemroids and their treatment.

External hemroid treatment

If you have external ones, or even a single external one, the treatment is the same. Your external treatment options are:

1. Essential oils or creams

This type of treatment is good for symptom relief, but you have to match your external hemroids symptoms to the cream, otherwise the cream may not help you. Yes, regrettably, the over the counter creams you find in a druggist or chemist, treat different kinds of symptoms. So you have to read what the cream actually does and choose the one that mentions your symptoms.

Some online creams and essential oils are suitable as a hemroid treatment that covers all your hemroids symptoms. Some even help cure hemroids. So they may be worth checking out.

2. Pills

Hemroid pills taken orally, are also good as an external hemroid treatment. This type of hemroid treatment can be purchased online, or through shops that offer alternative or herbal remedies. Good oral hemroid pills work by softening your stools and by bringing active ingredients through your blood stream and gastrointestinal tract to bring beneficial healing to the external hemroids.

Symptom relief often begins immediately, but may take several days to work their wonder on the symptoms fully. Healing can take several months, depending on how bad the hemroids are, and how good you are at eliminating the causes of your hemroids.

3. Surgery.

Hemorrhoidectomy is really the only surgical option for external hemroids. Hemorrhoidectomy means “cut the hemorrhoids away”.

What are internal hemroids?

If the engorged vein is inside or comes from the rectum, the hemroids are referred to as internal hemroids.

Internal hemroids only occur in the last two inches (5 cm) of the anus . That’s why a doctor can easily check you for internal hemroids. I mention this, as some people mistakenly believe that internal hemroids are quite long, large, massive things, that fall down from somewhere deep inside.

Two more pages you may be interested in on internal hemroids: internal hemroids symptoms, and bleeding internal hemroids.

Internal hemroid treatment

Treatment is similar to external hemroids treatment in some aspects, but very different in others. For example, it is not considered safe to use a cream designed for external hemroids on an internal one, because internal ones and the rectum ( the area just inside the hole – anal canal ) absorb active ingredients much much more than external ones. If you use an external cream internally, you’re effectively giving yourself a much higher dose, which can be dangerous.

Having said that though, some creams and essential oils come with applicators for inserting the cream or oil AND directions for doing so – This presumably makes their use with internal hemroids safer, but Dr. J. Hogg (One of our medical experts) states that you should never apply an external cream to an internal hemroid.

So what is the treatment for internal hemroids?

1. Suppositories are often the first choice for internal hemroid treatment

Creams often come with a suppository equivalent, so you need to match symptoms again. The hemroid suppository is specially designed to melt once it is inside and is made of less potent active ingredients than a cream, or different ingredients altogether. Symptom relief is often quite fast, though rather expensive.

2. Pills are often the preferred treatment

This is both for convenience and because they work on all hemroids. The pill treatment may take several days to work to achieve full symptom relief – it’s sort of like going from a whimpering dog to a happy dog in about three days.

3. Treatment via surgery is both many and varied

There are so many hemroid surgeries around, that to list them all here is rather difficult. So you may want to check out the hemroid surgery page to gain a better understanding of this type of treatment.

Generally, banding of hemroids is the preferred option when suitable – as it is relatively cheap, performed as an outpatient in the doctors rooms, and has few complications.

What are prolapsed hemroids?

If the engorged vein is internal, but hangs outside where you can see it or feel it, it is referred to as a hemroid prolapse or a prolapsed haemorrhoid.

Prolapsed treatment

The treatment of prolapsed ones is the same as for INTERNAL. Just because they are outside the body does not make them external hemroids – they are internal ones that have prolapsed, so readily absorb active ingredients and so on much better than external hemroids can.

What are bleeding hemroids?

Any kind of hemroid can bleed. The bleeding ones are mostly caused by the hemroid being scratched in some way – hard stool or wiping too hard. Blood loss is normally only no more than a teaspoon, though it may look a lot more. Some bleeding ones are so severe as to cause anaemia – iron deficiency in the blood stream.

Treatment For Bleeding Ones

Usually the bleeding quickly stops of its own accord. If it’s bad, the treatment mainly revolves around finding the source and fixing it, then preventing the hemroid from being damaged further so that natural healing of the scratch can take place.

What are thrombosed ones?

Finally, the last type of hemroids you’ll likely need to know about are called thrombosed hemroids. Thrombosed hemroids are ones that have a blood clot in them, and they are exquisitely painful and can grow to a very large size – sometimes golf ball size.

These pages on thrombosed ones may also be of interest: Thrombosed external hemroids and why and how do hemroids thrombose?

Thrombosed hemroids treatment

Normally you have to see a doctor, as the pain is so severe and the thrombosed hemroids treatment normally involves slicing it open under local anaesthesea, and having the blood clot squeezed out after it is injected with adrenalin or some such. Sometimes the doctor will see the clot as being too small to worry about, and advise you to use sitz baths and so on.

A topical application of cream or essential oils, with strong pain killing abilities, may be suggested.

Confluent hemroids

So, you now realize that there are two basic types of hemroids – internal and external – and that they can also be referred to as thrombosed, or bleeding, and that internal ones can prolapse. Confluent ones are rather rare, and not well known about, but the term “confluent hemroid” means a hemroid that has developed across the dentate line, rather than on either side of it. In other words, a hemroid that is partly growing internally, and partly growing externally.

Confluent treatment

A difficult one to call, but I believe the most appropriate option is to treat the same as for internal hemroids.

Mixed Hemroids

Mixed hemroids can refer to people who have both internal and external hemroids at the same time. Confluent hemroids can also be referred to as being mixed hemroids, as confluent hemroids have an internal and external component.

Mixed hemroid treatment

Treatment needs to be focused on treating the internal and external haemorrhoids separately with the relevant medicines or surgery.

Are Hemroids Tumors?

No, definitely not!

An alternative definition for external hemroids – one encyclopedia I read referred to them as non-cancerous tumors! Medical jargon, enough to scare anyone silly I think. Technically, the word ‘tumour’ is the medical term that just means ‘lump’, but that’s not what most people understand by it. You’re unlikely to hear a doctor use it when talking about them.

2. Hemorrhoids and Hemorrhoidal Cushions – A Point of Clarification and Great Understanding:

(No, not the hemorrhoid donut shaped cushions you sit on)

First lets clear up some misunderstandings:

The Ohio State University Medical Center states “Everyone has hemorrhoids, but not everyone is bothered by them.” (cmis.ohio-state.edu/8871.cfm)

Also, an alternative definition of internal hemorrhoids that I have come across states that they are normal and helpful, as they protect and cushion the rectum. It is only when they become troublesome that we have to worry – To quote “In one sense, everyone has hemorrhoids, the pillow-like clusters of veins that lie just beneath the mucous membranes lining the lowest part of the rectum and the anus.” July, 2004, Harvard Women’s Health Watch, The Harvard Medical School.

Although these definition are a little wrong, they do have some merit, as I’ll explain below:

Everyone has hemorrhoidal cushions, all the time, but these hemorrhoidal cushions are NOT hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoidal cushions are cushions of tissue within the anal canal that are fed from a rich blood supply. These cushions exist to help provide anal sphincter control, and without them people would have a hard time knowing “when to go.” When one of the many blood vessels in this area irreversibly enlarges, which also swells some of the supporting tissue (which can include hemorrhoidal cushion tissue), then you have a haemorrhoid.

When this process takes place below the dentate line, which is the line where internal mucus membrane transitions to external skin, then you have an external hemorrhoid. While there are no hemorrhoidal cushions on the outside of the body, many of the veins that supply those cushions with blood drain down to the outside before going back up to empty into larger veins. It is from this “dip” in the anal veins that external ones develop.

So how can such professional people be wrong in defining hemorrhoids?

They’re not wrong, but they use the words differently to ordinary folk like you and me. We use the word “hemroids” or “hemorrhoids” to mean the abnormal swelling, mostly professionals mean that too when they talk to us, but amongst themselves, they define a hemorrhoidal cushion as a hemorrhoid, whether swollen or not.

3. Some Interesting History of Hemroid Treatment – Start Screaming so they can Cut more out!

Left is an extract from a picture which depicted an 11th century hemorrhoids operation. This treatment was probably horrendously feared in it’s day and the agony of it must have been unbearable.

In fact, go back 2,500 years, to the time of Hipprocates, and you find they were treated by burning them away with a hot poker, or cutting them off with a sharp implement.

Screaming from the patient was encouraged, as it caused more of the hemorrhoids to come out, thereby allowing more of them to be cut off!

So, as can be seen from the picture – and a bit of interesting history – hemorrhoids are not just an affliction of a modern life style, even though some have argued just that.

However, hemroids still remain basically unheard of in most nonindustrialized areas of the world today. Yet many, many, millions of people in industrial nations, do actually have them – it’s normally only when the hemroids show themselves, or bleed, or become painful, that the person becomes aware of their existence.

“What is the hemroids life style?”. Essentially, it’s sitting down most of the day and eating processed foods.

So, the best long term treatment in the industrialized world, is getting enough fiber in your diet, and doing more physical activity – and finding hemroids relief until that works. It takes about 6 months for the body to heal itself of hemroids, so long as you’re helping it along, and provided they aren’t too bad.

Why can’t I just use a hemroids cream and not change anything? I like my life style just fine!

Well, you may be able to, hemroids can be caused by many things, not just diet and lack of exercise. Tend to the causes of your hemroids, and you may be able to treat your hemroids yourself, which is what HemorrhoidsHemroids.com is here to help you do.

Education is always one of the best defenses against hemroids and therefore the best treatment – without, you will most likely end up with hemroids again and again, treating every outbreak, hoping it will be your last, even having one hemroid operation after another. I know, I use to suffer from them myself.

7.. Hemroids, hemorrhoids, haemorrhoids – The Name and it’s history

a.. Alternative SPELLINGS AND NAMES for hemroids

Alternative spellings for hemorrhoids : Hemroids and haemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids is the most common spelling and is also the modern label in medical circles. Next in popularity comes hemroids, which is the way I and many others naturally spell it, but it is a laymans spelling of it. Haemorrhoids is a term seldom used now – haemorrhoids is an older label that you will still find occasionally used in medical journals and texts, but is also used by the Brittish a fair bit.

Alternative names for hemorrhoids : Piles. The term piles has been used to describe them for more than a century. In one of my medical texts from the 1833’s, the term piles was evidently in common usage along with haemorroids. From what I can tell, piles was the term used by ordinary folk, while haemorroids may have been more restricted to use by doctors. The spelling hemorrhoids and hemroids doesn’t appear to have been used back then.

Common misspellings (? – may change from country to country) of the word hemorrhoids: Hemmroids, hemoroids, hemeroids, hemorids, hemerroids, hameroids, hammeroids, hemorroids, haemorroids, hemmoroids, hemmeroids, hemmorhoids, hemroides and hemorhoids. Of these apparent misspellings, hemorroids comes at the top of the list – I guess people forget about the silent h in the middle of hemorroids.

The USA stats breakdown – spelt “hemorrhoids” – about 55%. Spelt “hemroids” – around 40%. All the other spellings account for around 5%. Stats are based on a survey I did some time ago.

b.. Origin of the condition “hemorrhoid”:  How the name became linked to the condition.

“Hemorrhoid” is actually an anatomical term for the cushions of tissue rich in blood vessels that naturally occur at the junction of the rectum and the anus, but, seeing as most people don’t have to think about anorectal anatomy that often, the name got passed on to the annoying as heck swellings that occur around that area, even when the varicosity and swelling does not occur on the hemorrhoidal cushions themselves.

The lay person use of the word hemorrhoids appears to be slowly becoming shortened to “hemroids”, but recent changes over the last ten years, has seen “hemroids” slowly drop out of usage. It may be that the internet is improving the spelling abilities of people?

Some trivia information on hemroids, which you may or may not, have found interesting.

8.. LOOKY.. Some more interesting pages related to hemroids:

Anal sex can cause hemroids, but there are safer ways of doing anal sex to minimize the risk.

Vaginal Hemorrhoids is a case of misdiagnosis, they don’t exist. Anal Warts are nothing like hemroids, neither is Herpes, but hemroids can easily be confused with some Anal Skin Tags, sometimes, while some anal skin tags can evolve into hemroids or be a warning of other health problems. Anal prolapse is very different to hemroids, yet can have a few similar symptoms.

New pages include one on external hemroids.. Hemroid surgery overview, plus several special surgery pages including one on  Hemorrhoidectomy aka Haemorrhoidectomy while Hemroidectomy Recovery is an important focal point for folks that have had a hemorrhoid surgery.

Updated Home Remedies which includes many home remedies for hemroid relief. A complete guide to stop bleeding hemroids, a 24 hour hemorrhoids cure using vinegar and other things.

Our Health Care Resources Portal contains my original articles on varied health issues, plus relevant links. A few other Health Resources.